


In Love With The Songs From Your Soul

by UpTaIn



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Humor, Light Angst, Other, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-10
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-06-07 12:34:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6804631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpTaIn/pseuds/UpTaIn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They had kicked you out of your home, your workplace, the club you worked in for 4 long years for something you did not do.  You worked there as a DJ and being a musician in the middle of a scientifically influenced town, there were barely any jobs from you.  But somehow you ended up in a certain fire elemental's cozy pub as their pianist. With your attempts of returning to your club helped by your lawyer friend, you somehow found yourself attracted to the flaming hot bartender. But in your life, nothing really stayed in control. </p><p> </p><p>(Grillby x Reader story)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You gave zero preparation for everything.

**Author's Note:**

> Notice: A lot of curse words. A mention of molestation. Also, slight grammar mistakes since I wrote this from 11 until 4 in the morning. I'll edit it more when I have the time. Please read the note, Its important.

You didn’t really get what just happened. One moment you were spinning your tracks, like a usual night as always, in the club where you worked as a DJ, just having your blissful upbeat moments with the ravers and the next minute you were dragged out by the bouncers by the arms, saying things such as you had molested a person in the restroom.  
  
“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! IT WASN’T ME! I WAS HERE THE WHOLE TIME GOD DAMN IT! HOW COULD I BE AT TWO PLACES AT ONCE?!” you screamed at them.  
  
 **SLAM!**  
  
They threw you out and slammed the door against your back.  
  
You got up quickly and started kicking at the door. “YOU MOTHER FUCKERS! LET ME IN! I SWEAR TO GOD THE ONLY REASON THIS CLUB IS SO POPULAR IS BECAUSE OF ME! YOU COCK SUCKERS BETTER GIVE ME A FUCKING VIP BREAK ROOM WHEN I COME BACK BECAUSE I WILL!” you kept on kicking the door as you shout at the metal. The last kick was the start of your bad luck, as you kicked the door too hard and ended up hurting your toe. You shouted more curses as you hopped around holding your foot like an idiot. The pain subsidised and you glared at the door.  
  
“YOU GUYS HAVE SHITTY DRINKS ANYWAY!” you screamed at it once more.  
  
You turned around and stomped away with a huff. It was already past twelve and no food joint was open to take out your anger on. You shoved your hands in your pockets and sighed loudly. What were you going to do now? You’ve been into music all your life and being a DJ was your expertise. You went to a music school, yes, and you graduated top of your class but that was about it. The city you lived in was mostly filled with scientific people and for a music talent like you, working at that club was heaven. The visitors loved your upbeat tunes and the staffs were basically your family.  
  
Except the bouncers.  
  
They were dicks.  
  
Besides, you were getting good money from performing from 10 until 4 in the morning. It was tiring, but you loved it.  
  
 _What the fuck am I gonna do now…_  
  
 _…_  
  
“FUCK ME IN THE ASS!!!” you screamed out of frustration while ruffling your hair messily with your hands.  
  
“I’ll do it!” you heard a voice from the other side of the street.  
  
Instead of walking, you ran down the pavement.  
  
With stomach grumbling, you decided to go on a quest for food. And probably get drunk too.  
  
Yeah, definitely getting drunk.  
  
Your feet led you towards a lone establishment that was still emitting lights; a sign it was still open. You thanked the heavens and quickly walked faster towards it. Looking up closer, the lighted sign on the front titled “Grillby’s”. You peeked through the big glass window they have at the front and saw a cozy looking pub filled only with a couple of beings inside. You inwardly cheered as it will be a perfect place to get drunk and from the sight of the vast variety of alcohol bottles on the shelves behind the bar, looks like you’ll be vomiting your guts out tomorrow.  
  
You walked in and the door opened with a chime, which scared you a bit since you didn’t expect it to be there. You walked with full determination to get whatever just happened out of your mind for now and you proceeded to sit right on the stool of the bar. You looked up only for your sight to be met with fire. Like fire literally. You focused your eyes at the sight in front of you and realized it was a man. A man made out of fire.  
  
A fire monster.  
  
 _No wonder this pub have a **warm** atmosphere…  _  
  
You grinned at your own joke without thinking and the man cleared his throat, a light hint of blue dusted on his flames.  
  
“May I help you?” he spoke.  
  
You snapped out of your thoughts and stared at the monster for a bit before chuckling. You nodded your head slightly and smiled at him.  
  
“Hit me with your strongest drink.” You challenged him.  
  
Even without facial features, you somehow could tell that he was raising an invisible eyebrow. Before anything could happen, he extended an arm towards you with the palm facing up. You knew that body gesture anywhere since you worked in a place that was filled with alcohol too.  
  
You were being asked to show your ID.  
  
You gave him an ‘ _’are you fucking kidding me_ ’’ look and dug around your pants’ pocket for your wallet. You handed him your wallet and let him see himself. After fiddling with your wallet, he proceeded to make you your drink. You laid your head on the bar table and sighed. You still had a few minutes to think about what you were going to do with your problem before you can drown yourself in alcohol.  
  
 _Maybe I should get a lawyer…_  
  
 _…._  
  
 _Wait…_  
  
 _HOLY CRA—_  
  
 **Clink!**  
  
The sound of a glass being settled next to your ear made you sat up straight in half a second, which nearly made you fall from your seat. Your eyes looked at his face before moving it on to the drink. What was withheld in the glass seemed so magical. It was a glowing orange liquid with shades of blue and yellow. There was sparkle and there were small pieces of ice cubes.  
  
It looked like fire and it was perfect.  
  
You took the drink into your hand and quickly downed it in one go. Despite the ice cubes being there, it felt like fire was being ignited inside your throat. It was savoury, sweet and tangy at the same time. Your mind went blank from the feeling and you let out a small moan from the taste. The bartender looked at you with curious eyes. You pushed the glass towards him, signalling for more, which he happily took. This went on for a while and with every glass you return for more, the fire man got more worried. You could feel the alcohol working in your system and after finishing your fifth glass, you were fully drunk. You stopped giving back the glass and the man was fine with that. He didn’t want you drinking anymore anyway. You were mumbling about your night and your cheeks were flushed. Hair messy, shirt crumpled, the _hot_ bartender was worried on how you would get home safely. He had an idea. Maybe he shoul—  
  
“I F-FuCkinG knEW I-It!” you suddenly shouted out, making him jump slightly.  
  
You drunkenly took out your pocket from your right pocket and turned it on. You tried to tap your friend’s number into the phone to call her but you failed more times than you could realize. Frustrated, you put more force against the touchscreen as you tapped the number. The bartender looked at you with both worry, amusement, and curiosity in his gaze. You put the phone upside down against your ear, which made the bartender chuckled, and waited for an answer.  
  
 **Ring Ring!**  
  
 **Ring Ring!**  
  
 **Ring Ring!**  
  
“What thE FUcK B-BO—“  
  
“Uuuuuugh, whaaat?”  
  
“PICk UP ThE DAnM PHOnE!!” you hissed at the device.  
  
“Yo, what the fuck? I’m on the phone!”  
  
“BOOB I SwEaR TO Go—“you felt a warm hand against yours. You looked at the bartender with a drunk glare. He only smiled at you and flipped your phone right side up and gave it back to you. Your face turned red and you mumbled a quiet ‘ _’thank you’’_.  
  
“BOOB PICK UP THE—“you continued to quietly scream at the phone but was interrupted.  
  
“IM HERE GOD DAMN IT! Why the fuck are you calling me?! Shouldn’t you be at work?!” your friend called out with complete frustration.  
  
“I GoT KIcKEd Out!!” you wailed at her. The bartender gave you a surprised look somehow even though he suspected something bad had happened to you since you drank so much alcohol. “Pick Me Upppp! I’M AT GRuBbYs!” you giggled at her.    
  
“You serious right now?” you heard her. She gave a long groan and finally a sigh, which you replied with a laugh.  
  
“You know what? No. Go challenge yourself to get home drunk. Go to the nearest bus stop, take the last bus here. I’ll wait for you at our bus stop. Bye,realized” she hung up.  
  
 _…_  
  
 _FucK…_  
  
You sighed and fell back from your stool. The flaming bartender hurriedly rushed over to you and kneeled beside you.  
  
“Are you alright?” his soothing voice reached your ears.  
  
You moaned out from the pain and rubbed your head. You gave him a nod and a thumb’s up before you tried to pick yourself up from the floor. He noticed the struggle and helped you up. You gave him a smile that made you look like you just snorted a good amount of cocaine and he couldn’t help but smile back. You just looked so cute. You took your wallet from the bar stool and gave him all the money you had without thinking. Before he could correct your mistake, the sound of the bus passing by interrupted him. You quickly turned your head to see your bus passed by the giant glass window outside.  
  
 **Oh crap.**  
  
“OH CRAP!!!” you shouted and ran after the vehicle. The bartender realizes what was happening before you had run out of the door with the same chime from the door signalling your leave. You didn’t get very far as you fell on to your face just after 3 steps. With nosebleed on your side, you picked yourself up and continued running. He was everything from the inside through the window.  
  
“STOP THE BUS! STOP THE BUS!!!” he heard your voice slowly faded.  
  
He quickly chased after you, hoping he would catch up and take you home safely himself. But as soon as he passed the door, you already boarded the bus with barely enough oxygen for yourself. He stared at the bus leaving for the horizon, getting smaller and smaller with every second. He stood there for a minute or two to process what just happened. Looking at the excess money in his hand, he smiled and shook his head.  
  
 _What an interesting human…_  
  
“Dearie, you’re here.” The bus driver called out to you. Before you took your seat on the bus, you informed the old driver you were drunk off your ass and told him about your stop, asking him to call out for you when the bus reached it. Luckily, he wasn’t a grumpy one and only replied with a smile and a nod. You then fell half asleep on the seat. Present time, you snorted awake and nearly tipped off from your seat. You waddled to the front of the bus and gave him a messy pat on the shoulder before walking out. As said, your friend was waiting on the seat of the bus stop only in her pyjamas. You walked up to her and leaned against the advertisement board that was next to the seat.  
  
“HeY T-theRE CutE.” You smirked at her and tried to give your best flirtiest voice only for it to sound like gurgles. She gave out a frustrated sigh but smiled slightly at your drunk state. She stood up and wiped the dry blood from your nose and lips before turning around and motioning you to jump on her back. You gave out a happy yelp and quickly jumped at her. With a huff, your friend started walking back to your shared flat with you on her back like a koala on a tree.  
  
“Thanks Boob…” you whispered into her ear with your alcohol reeked breath as sleep started to consume you.  
  
“Fuck you.”  
  
And that was the last thing you heard before passing out.  
  
 **Chirp Chirp!**  
  
 **Chirp Chirp!**  
  
 **Chir—**  
  
“Mother fucking birdssss….” You groaned and covered your ears with the pillows. You could feel the warm sun rays against your face and you slowly cracked an eye open. Everything was spinning and your head felt like it was smashed by a sledgehammer. You slowly rolled off the bed and ended up falling on the floor. The drink you had last night must’ve been really strong as your tolerance level was higher than an average person. You glanced at the clock on the wall at it read 3:30 pm. You wiggled your toes but only for them to feel constricted. Looking down, you saw your boots were still on. You hated sleeping with boots on, always do and always will so your opinion about them won’t change anytime soon. The least your friend could’ve done was take them off but no, she didn’t. But then again, she saved your life from the creepers of the night. The bus driver too, he helped you not get lost even though you had to chase after his bus. Going back to your boots, you slowly unzipped and then kicked them off.  
  
You got up even though you still felt a lot of dizziness in your head and then you felt it.  
  
The avalanche of bile that was coming up as promised.  
  
You quickly ran for the toilet and stayed there hunched over just vomiting your guts out as promised. After what seemed to be years of agony, even though it was actually 20 minutes, you could safely continue living without the need of the toilet to hold your bile.  
  
You grabbed a giant plastic cup you got for Christmas, scared you might break the glass ones if you spilled, and filled it with enough water for 3 people before walking to the television to switch on the shows about nature. You sat there and watched absentmindedly.  
  
You felt your phone vibrated in your pocket.  
  
That scared you and you ended up choking on your drink. You answered the call while coughing the liquid out of your throat.  
  
“Jesus Christ, you ok?” the voice on the other side called out.  
  
Hearing the voice, you somehow felt happy. Finally, you coughed out the rest of the water and answered back.  
  
“Joey! My awesome lawyer buddy!”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, I know what happened. Kinda. Fill me in here, Bud” he sounded interested.  
  
You spent the next fifteen minutes explaining what had happened to you last night. From the moment you started playing your gig, to the part where they dragged you out until the part where you drank too much and blacked out. You barely described the last part as you didn’t remember anything from it. All you remembered were glowing yellow and orange lights and the feeling of warmth and that was it.  
  
“Ok, here’s the plan. Listen, listen… You listening?”  
  
“Huh? Oh yeah. Shoot.” You stopped watching the pandas that were on TV.  
  
“I’m gonna work on this. But I need your help. Not much, but still. I’ll ask around for more evidence from the peeps at the bar. From what they’re accusing you with, it really doesn’t sound like you but I still need evidence. You might be able to get them easier than I do because you’re close to them. By the way, how’s your head? Cass told me you were VERY drunk last night.” He snickered at the last part.  
  
You glared at the TV even though it wasn’t really directed at it. “It fucking hurts… You mind if I hang up now? I just wanna relax by myself… And yeah sure, do what you can. Thanks for helping me.” You put the cup away from your lap and onto the table before you laid down on the sofa.  
  
“Sure, sure. Goodnight, my little cute.” He laughed at you.  
  
You scowled and hung up. You got into a comfortable position and quickly fell asleep again but this time, with a recovering system and cute pandas on TV.  
  
The next one week was spent online for you. You were trying to gain more fans on a music website by making new songs and remixes. So far, it was working, but not as much as you expected. You have over half a million followers and you were grateful enough for that. But that still won’t get you money and you needed them soon. You couldn’t have Cass buying you food every day and you also needed to pay half of the bills too. You sighed as you closed your laptop. You had just uploaded your second song of the week and you hoped it gained you enough momentum to grow bigger online. It was never really about the number of people who followed you, you actually do care about your fans and you actually cared making good quality music for them. That’s why this week while you had your unemployed week, you worked 24/7 creating two songs at once. Count it as a surprise song, since you upload 1 or 2 songs every a month or three. Creative juices just come to you naturally.  
  
You heard your phone ringing and buzzing from the night stand and you wheeled yourself closer to the device without getting up from the chair.  
  
“Helloooo?” you picked up the call.  
  
“Guess what!” Joe sounded excited today.  
  
“I can finally go back to the club as their DJ?”  
  
“Uh… No.”  
  
“Then it’s not important. Goodbye!” you were about to hung up but his voice stopped you.  
  
“Wait wait wait! You wanted a job right?”  
  
Now we’re talking. “Yeah, of course! What’cha got? Because so far all my job searches don't need any of my skills.” You gave a pitiful laugh at yourself.  
  
Joe did the same too. “Well, can you play the piano?” he asked.  
  
“Piano? Hella yes! How do you think I got into the music world? Cause my mum made me join piano classes!” your eye lit up at this. Even though EDM was your field, you still love the sound that a piano made. It was one of the instruments you love playing. Sometimes, you rent a piano from a friend just to play it by yourself. You couldn’t have one because the ones you wanted was too expensive for you.  
  
“Great! There’s this pub just one stop away from the club and they’re looking for a pianist. I heard they just got a new piano and needed someone to play it. Interested?” you could literally hear the excited grin on his voice.  
  
“Heck yeah! What’s it called?” you hopped off the chair and started getting properly dressed. You grabbed your headphones, wallet, keys and jacket before walking out the door.  
  
“Uh… I don’t remember.”  
  
You stopped just after locking your front door.  
  
“Are you serious?”  
  
“Yes… But! You’ll know it when you see it! They should’ve the sign still up today. They only put it up this morning.”  
He informed you.  
  
“Ok ok, thank you Joey dear! Such a lifesaver! Tell Cass where I’ll be, bye!” you felt like you could kiss him right now.  
  
“No prob, Cute!” he laughed at you. You groaned and ended the call with a smile on your lips. You started to walk towards the bus stop, unaware of where you will be soon.  
  
You stepped off the bus and walked forward hoping that you’ll see the pub close by. If you hadn’t turned your head you probably would have missed it. The pub called “Grillby’s” had just opened, as you saw a woman behind the giant glass window flip the sign from close to open. You checked your watch and noted the time they opened. It was 5 in the evening and the sky was just turning dark. You quickly crossed and the street and walked in, only to hear a chime from the bell above the door. That sound gave you a really strong hit of déjà vu but you decided it was nothing. The woman was behind the bar now and she looked up at you. She was wearing a white buttoned up shirt, black vest with matching black pencil skirt accompanied with black stockings and flats. She had her light blonde hair tied up in a bun and her clear emerald eyes were directed at you now. The two of you stared at each other before you greeted her awkwardly.  
  
“Yeah, uh… Hi? I saw the sign and it says you needed a pianist?”  
  
“Oh! The sign. Yeah, ok hold on. Just sit on one of the stool, I’ll be back.” She smiled at you and went through the door beside the shelves of alcohol bottles. You did what she told and looked around.  
  
This place was giving you a very familiar feeling. As if you’ve been here before. Your eyes scanned the room; from the shelves of alcohol to the new beautiful shiny piano that sat next to the bar facing it and lastly, the tables, chairs, and booths. You finally turned back around and looked at the door where the woman went through. The knob moved and she came out but this time with another person. The person was on fire.  
  
The monster was on fire.  
  
The Fire monster.  
  
 _Oh my god, holy crap…_  
  
All the memories finally rushed in the moment your eyes connected. From the drinking to the catching after the bus with your nosebleed. You felt your face heated up as you stared at the monster. The woman switches her gaze from you to the fire man repeatedly with a frown. The monster seemed to have recognized you too as he gave out an audible chuckle. He walked behind the bar and stood in front of you.  
  
Is that a smile on his face?  
  
You casted your head downwards, your face away from his sight.  
  
“Nice to see you again. I did not realize we would meet once more so soon.” He sounded pleased that he saw you again.  
  
“Ahahaha…haha…yeah… Sorry about getting that drunk that night…” you mumbled quietly.  
  
His smile grew and a hand was extended to you.  
  
You looked at the hand and then at him and you shook it with a small, shy smile on your own lips. The two of you shook hands and it lasted a bit longer than normal handshakes, as if neither of you wanted to let go, but you didn’t mind. His hand felt comfortably warm and was bigger than yours. He pulled away first and intertwined his fingers together.  
  
“It’s alright. I’ve seen worse. To be frank, it was quite… engaging. My name is Grillby.” His voice was accompanied by the cackles of his fire.  
  
You blushed at the thought of you being completely drunk in front of such a nice, gentlemanly man. Um, monster. Nice, gentlemanly monster-man. You told him your name, which he nodded approvingly for some reason.  
  
“So tell me, what are your experiences in music?”  
  
“Well, I’ve worked as a DJ for the local club here for about 4 years now. 'Possibilities' is its name. Ever heard of it?” you asked him. He only nodded and commented the word “very popular”. You smiled and continued your story. “But for some reason, I got kicked out. I have my lawyer to deal with this issue right now and hopefully I’ll return one day.” That sentence somehow made Grillby frowned but he did not interrupt. The woman was now cleaning the tables but kept close ears on your conversation.  
  
“My main expertise are electronic music and using softwares to make my own music, but I also play the piano and other instruments fluently. I started playing the piano since I was… 4 I think. I could play a vast range of songs from classical to modern music. I tend to lean towards modern music but I usually convert it to something more… appropriate when I play in on the piano.” You finished describing your skills.  
  
Grillby could only nod in astonishment at your vast skills. “What other instruments can you play?” he asked.  
  
You pondered for a moment before answering. “Aside from piano, I could play the guitar, flute, synthesizers, harp and an advanced level in drums and violin. I came from a family of musicians so those skills are…reoccurring in our DNA.” You told him with a smile. You were proud of your skills and you loved it when people asked you this kind of questions. Coming from a family of pure musicians made learning instruments felt like walking on flat grounds for you. It was just built in you.  
  
“You’re hired.” He spoke without hesitation.  
  
You stared at him wide eyes.  
  
“Wait, serious?!” you stood up and smacked your hands on the table from the excitement.  
  
He smiled and nodded.  
  
“I never met someone who had so much skills and knowledge in music. It’s perfect.” He smiled at you. You face must be beaming at him because you felt it. You hugged him over the bar, which he did not expect at all, chanting “thank you” over a million time to him.  
  
“So when do I start?” you let go of him, still smiling brightly.  
  
“Why not now?”  
  
“Now? But my clothes?” you were wearing a black shirt with a white hoodie that was filled with black tribal patterns. You had your favourite white short shorts on and black knee high socks. Your feet was in your usual black boots.  
  
“Doesn’t matter when people will be distracted by your skills. We’ll get you your uniform by tomorrow.” He patted your shoulder reassuringly. You quickly nodded at him and left for the piano, unaware of jealous emerald eyes staring at you.  
  
You opened the fallboard of the piano and ran your fingers over the keys. You shuddered in delight since it has been a while since you played a piano. You took your position and placed your hands on the wanted keys and a second later, they were moving on their own fluidly like water. Your feet stepped on the specific pedals when desired and the sound produced was therapeutic for you. The empty pub was filled with calm music and filled your soul with peacefulness. You never noticed that the flaming monster-man was watching you with such pleasant gaze. But he never took noticed of the other pair of eyes that was staring at him with such jealousy.  
  
The night progressed with such a great atmosphere from the music you were playing and because of that, the pub was more packed than usual. Humans and monster alike went to the pub to relax and enjoy the tunes. You handled the crowd pretty well since you worked in one of the most crowded clubs in town and the crowd size was beyond the size of this one. You felt comforted because you had your own space while playing the piano and no one dared disturbed your concentration. You occasionally glance at your co-worker to check how they were doing and you always seemed to let your sight lingered a bit longer on the fire elemental. You smiled and continued playing. The beat changes as you read the atmosphere, switching from upbeat EDM tracks to classical pieces to other genres and some customers would ask you to play their favourite song, sing with the music or even join the singing with you. You were aware of everything that was going on in the pub, from Grillby mixing the drinks to your female co-worker, who was called Dahlia, shuffling between tables to keep up with serving the customers.  
  
One thing you failed to notice was Grillby’s frequent glances at you and the small smile he always seemed to have when looking at you.


	2. Here Comes Posse-B!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Brian is your brain.

It has been a few weeks now since you have started your new job as the pianist of a monster owned bar called Grillby’s. Everything was fine, your case was being handled expertly by Joey, you were close enough to be able to earn money through your donators online and you managed to get everyone from your old workplace to be on your side in the case. However, if there’s good, the opposite would also exist. In Grillby’s bar, you would notice the occasional small romantic actions that Dahlia and Grillby would share over the period of time you have worked there. At first, it was fine, you even found it cute and was happy for the two, but then those actions grew and you even walked in on them kissing in the break room behind the bar. You quickly walked out of course and sat back down in your post, which was the piano area, and ignored your slightly dry throat and co-workers throughout the night. It was embarrassing and you just wished they would do what they do elsewhere. You have asked Grillby once if he and Dahlia were dating but he gave a very vague answer leaning towards the side of ‘no’.

That only frustrated you more.

Your relationship with Grillby developed faster than you liked and soon enough, you found yourself crushing over the fire elemental. From being able to joke around him and cursing loudly, you ended up being a bit too awkward around the guy and blushed every time he got too close. You hoped he wouldn’t notice your odd behavior and in favor of your hope; he hadn’t. But it seemed like Dahlia did and she would always try to get close to him as much as possible. It irked you, it did greatly, but you didn’t want to get involved. Being a pianist to this bar was just a temporarily job and you were going back to your old job one day.

You just have to endure it a bit more and then you were free.

**Ding!**

“Hey guys, what’s coo—“

You stopped midsentence when you saw the two. Dahlia had her arms wrapped around his shoulder with one of her upper shirt’s button popped open. Grillby himself as guilty since had one of his hand on her waist and the other next to the opened button.  Grillby jumped away the moment he realized you were there but Dahlia only stayed in her placed and turned her head to face you. You stared at them with a mix of surprise, disgust and a slight hint of anger.

“Oh geez, sorry for interrupting you both. I should’ve come later, shouldn’t I?” you sarcastically told them. More like you directed the sentence at Dahlia, who could only glare at you as she fixed her shirt. You hanged your coat on the coat hanger and walked over to your seat, ignoring Grillby’s waves of apologies on the other side of the piano. You opened the fallboard and traced the keys lightly with your fingers as you tried to calm yourself down. You were disappointed, not at them, but mostly at yourself. You thought you could ignore your feelings, kept them aside for now but as always, nothing went your way and you found it harder for yourself to control it.

“I’m so sorry, I—“

“Stop.” You interrupted him.

“I don’t care about you two, but just keep these things in private. Act professional, won’t you? Besides, I don’t really want to see how the reputation of this bar goes down. If you’re worried about me, don’t, I’ll be gone once my case is done.” Even you couldn’t believe you had just roasted Grillby.

Before he could reason more, you struck a key on the piano to silence him.

And it did.

You moved your fingers gracefully over the keys but did not strike any yet. You closed your eyes and breathed out slowly, trying to ease your own mind as you can feel the stares of your two co-workers on yourself. Finally with a relaxed mind, you—

**RING RING!**

**RING RI—**

“OH FOR FUCK SAKE!” you shouted and threw your arms up out of frustration. Just when you were about to enter your trance, something just HAD to bother you.

You took out your phone from your uniform’s skirt, which Grillby had got you after a few days working here, and answered the call.

“WHO-S TH—“

“GUESS WHAT!” Cass interrupted you.

“Cass, I’m bus—“you groaned.

“I SAID GUESS WHAT!” her voice was jolly and filled with excitement.

“What?”

“I booked you a gig!” she squealed from the other side.

“Oh that’s grea—WAIT WHAT?! A GIG?! CASS WHY?!” how were you going to handle working with Grillbz and turning up for this ‘gig’?

 You were so screwed.

“IM COMING IN!”

And right there and then you saw Cass marched through the door.

You heard Dahlia groaned and Grillby chuckling in the background.

“Cass, n—“you stepped out of your work area to prevent Cass from coming in furthermore but she has beaten you to it as she was already sitting down on one of the stool. She sat down facing you.

“Guess who’s playing at the biggest event of the year? You are! Guess who’s gonna up their reputation? You are! Guess who made it all possible?”

“…you…” you mumbled with your face buried on your palms.

“That’s right, baby! Mark Hermann is hosting a party for his 21st birthday and he wants you to play the tunes for him. He said the majority of the people are with you on the case and it will most likely benefit your reputation. Miss this and it’ll be a huge blow in your rep. Oh, also he’s paying you huge money. 200 bucks per hour.”

“Whoa whoa, slow down, Mark Hermann the rich kid of the south? Serious? He wants me to play for him? When’s the party?” you sat next to her.

“Next Saturday, 10 at night until god knows when. But he wants you to stay until 4 or 5 in the morning, you think you’re up for it?” she nudged the side of your arms.

You were hesitant as it would happen during your working hour and you were worried about how Grillby would think and if he would even let you go. You had only started your new job with balanced paying wage a few weeks ago and you didn’t want to disappoint anyone, as the customer who visits, regular or non-regular ones, seemed to enjoy your music night after night.

_But 200 dollars per hour?_

_That 1,200 dollars in total._

_That’s a lot of money._

You never heard the footstep of the pub’s owner coming closer to you until you felt his warm hand on your shoulder. You looked up at him and saw his flames flickering calmly on the top of his head. Somehow the sight had never bothered you and always manage to give off a positive effect on your chaotic mind. His smile was barely visible and his eyes were displaying the soft glow that he seemed to only give to you. With a quiet, husky voice that you liked so much, he told you,

“It’s alright, you can go. It’s important for you.”

Oh golly, you really really really really do like him.

“A-Are you sure? I mean I could just—“

“No, no, it really is fine. Dahlia and I will manage, besides, I’m sure the patrons won’t mind one night without the usual pianist.” His smile was more visible now.

You were about to tell yourself that you might love him but with Dahlia’s name in the sentence, you thought twice.

You nodded and smiled back at him before you turned to your friend, who were grinning ear to ear.

“Hey, Grillby, right? Why don’t you go as well? Watch her perform, seriously, it’s magical.” She gave you a cat like grin.

Grillby noticed your face freezing up and he simply gave out that perfect chuckle.

“I simply couldn’t.  I have the pub to tend.”

“Yeah, he does!” Dahlia called out from the table at the front part of the pub.

 “Hey, why don’t you serve the drinks for the earlier hours of the party? Mark’s parents are taking 6 until 9 to host the formal party for him and you can show off them bartending skills, ya know?” Cass winked and Grillby. He looked reluctant and before he could say no, Cass interrupted him more. “Don’t worry, it will be mostly adults. Ahem, real adults, like, the snobby, kinda mature I guess, adults. I’m sure you’ll be well liked there. Especially with the ladies, you are very hot after all.” She got up and patted him on the shoulder. The place on his face where his cheeks would be turned slightly blue and he nodded slightly.

“Well, alright. I’ll take the offer.”

“Great and dandy! I’ll tell them about it! Both of you! Don’t forget, Saturday 6 to 4! Oh gee, it’ll be magnificent!” Cass clapped her hands together and jumped off her seat. She strode in a happy march past a glaring Dahlia and out of the door, still having that excited smile as she passed the big window and out of sight. You and Grillby were speechless at what just happened and then the both of you turned your gazes at a fuming Dahlia.

“Well, I guess we—“

“We are NOT going! At least not you Grillby.” Dahlia strode over to the two of you holding a rag in her clutch that you were sure would rip from the force she was exerting on it.

“Whoa, calm down Dall. It’s only one night.” You got up from your seat and back away slightly.

“One working night! What would we say to our regular patrons?!”  She retorted back.

“Jesus Christ, Dahlia, they’re patrons, REGULAR patrons! I’m sure they’ll understand!” you crossed your arms. You were really starting to get pissed off because how can you not?

She was so bitchy!

_How can Grillbz deal or even LIKE her?!_

“Oh? So you understood who are regulars and who aren’t now? How long have you been working here now? All you do is come here and sit behind that damn piano!” she scoffed at you.

Oh no.

_Oh no, she did not._

“Listen here you talentless bitch, I have bonded with more customer over the span of a few weeks than you have over your whole life! And from the looks of it, I probably work harder than you!”

It was true, the customers were more responsive and close to you than Dahlia.

“Fuck you, you ra—“

“ **ENOUGH!** ”

The both of you quickly shut up and snapped your neck towards the sound of the booming voice.

You were really surprised at what you saw.

There stood Grillby, fire so hot you felt the heat emitting on your skin even though you were quite a distance from him. His composure was completely gone and the usual calm flicker of flames on top of his head was replaced with intense raging fire. His shirt crumpled because of the tense body posture he was showing, which were hunched shoulders and flexed arms as if he was holding back the already wild fire. His eyes, his usual soothing, calm, peaceful eyes were erratic and burning with intensity.

_I wonder if he’s like that in bed…_

NOT THE TIME, BRIAN!

You quickly gave an open body posture to sign that you were backing off from the argument by raising both of your hands up. His fierce gaze flickered from you to Dahlia before settling on Dahlia.

“ **You.** ” He spoke to her with the same seething concentration as his flames.

_O shit._

_Waddup_

“Grillby, you can’t—“bad move, Dahlia. 

 **Never**  add more fuel to an already raging, uncontrolled fire.

“ **Enough, Dahlia! So far, all I’ve seen you done is pick and displayed an aggressive attitude on our co-worker and that, in my opinion, is completely not accepted! We have talked about this and yet you have not changed your demeanor! It is completely unacceptable and now you’re acting excessively rude to a very good proposal which I think is good for this business! Let me remind you once again that I AM THE OWNER OF THIS ESTABLISHMENT, NOT YOU!** ”

By the time the fire elemental was huffing and puffing out of exhaustion from his exertion of emotion by shouting at Dahlia (which was hilarious to you but you kept quiet), you were already by his side. You had noiselessly made your way towards him while he gave her his mini rant and wanted to comfort him. You gently placed your hand on the side of his arm, which he flinched at, and slowly slid it up towards his shoulder. You felt his ‘muscles’ relaxed under your touch but his breathing was still ragged. That was not enough and so you delicately slid your other hand up from his slim waist to his other arm and embraced him in a tender hug. This seemed to help as he completely relaxed after a few long seconds and his breathing was back to normal. You also felt the scorching heat he emitted decreased to that warm glow with passing moments.

_Thank you, god…._

Just when you were about to release the fire man from your hug, you felt him turn to face you and returned the gesture. He wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you in for a tight hug. Your face was buried in his chest and you could clearly smell his scent. If you closed your eyes, you could easily have mistaken him for a perfect, warm bonfire in a middle of a chilly night under thousands of stars.

It was heavenly.

You enveloped him back in a tighter embrace than last time and whispered forgiveness to be given to your actions to where you guessed were his ears. He laid his head on top of your shoulder and nodded slightly in a response towards your whispered words. You smiled and rubbed his back in an attempt to calm him down even more. You felt him melt slowly under your touch and this made you extremely relaxed after what just happened.

On the other hand, Dahlia, who was standing in front of you two, was fuming. She felt betrayed, hurt and even worse, heartbroken at the sight before her. She wouldn’t say she felt jealousy because to her because ever since you came, that was one of the things she had to acknowledge she would feel every day before she could kick you out of the picture. But right now, it was too much for her and with tears in her eyes, she swiftly walked past you and the elemental and into the break room. Dahlia sat down on the worn out sofa and quietly wept into her palms. She just couldn’t get. She just could not. No matter what she did…

You would always end up first place compared to her.

She even did that but now it was worse than before.

She just could not understand why it was now like this.

Dahlia wiped the tears away from her face and stood up before taking out her phone to make a phone call.

A very,  **very**  important phone call.

“You ok now, Grillbz?” you patted his back. It took him a moment but he finally lifted his head from your shoulder and looked at you in the eyes. He seemed tired, an evidence that showed he was not very fond of emotional outburst, as the lights that were his eyes were more dimmed that usual and his gaze seemed less focused than normal. You felt worried and so you guided him to sit on one of the stool before he hurt himself. He did sit down but he never removed that arms that were wrapped around your waist. Even though the grip was less tight, the feeling was still very real. You slowly buried your hands into the flames that danced on top of his head, which felt really good for the both of you and brought his head closer to your chest. It wasn’t hard to do the said as he was willing to submit into the gesture. He nuzzled his face into your chest.

Good thing he wasn’t looking because you were blushing like hell.

He was nuzzling his face into your chest for Christ sake.

_If heaven is like this, lord I’m--_

“I am sorry.” You heard the familiar voice coming from the monster.

“Huh?”

“I am sorry. I am sorry for letting her pick on you without intervening between you two and making you…witness… inappropriate acts several times…”

You smiled and ruffled his flames.

“It’s alright. I forgive you. Just… promise me nothing like that would happen again?”

“Promised.” He hugged you closer.

You sigh in content and let him have his way with you. You gave him a moment to compose himself before patting his shoulder.

He looked up at you with those gorgeous, glowing white orbs.

“Time to get ready, customers should be pouring in soon. Come on, let’s give them our best.” You smiled genuinely at him.

He stared at you for a second before responding with a small smile and a couple of nods. Grillby stood up, still have his arms on your mind you, and whispered something in your ear.

“Thank you.” His voice was angelic.

Before you could do or say anything, you felt a warm sensation on your forehead.

_Oh my…_

Grillby had kissed your forehead.

You heard him chuckled at your flushed reaction and walked off to continue preparing the bar for its customers. You couldn’t utter a single word because it seemed that your throat just shuts down for no reason. You walked over to your area, stumbling along the way of course, and plopped down on the seat before covering your heated face.

After all that drama, you would say that the night went on better than expected.

Dahlia wasn’t talking to you at all and not much to Grillby either, which was a surprise.

But that’s alright because her cold attitude didn’t bother you anyway.

**DING DONG!**

**DING DONG!**

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming!” Cass quickly rushed towards the door.

Currently, the two of you were preparing for the biggest event of the year: Mark Hermann’s party. If you have never heard of Mark Hermann or Ford Hermann, you must be living under a rock. Mark’s father, Ford, owned one of the most prestigious universities in your city and their family was making a heck ton of money out of it. The university itself wasn’t that bad, in fact, it was the opposite. The establishment was perfect; high scoring students, situated in a big open area just by the edge of town near the woods and high standards. The reason why it ‘wasn’t that bad’ was because of students like Mark.

You guessed it, he was the typical rich boy type of student.

He and his clique would get into all sorts of trouble and no one could do anything because the title of ‘the richest family’ belonged to his family. No one dared to do anything because of the fear that something would be done to them.

But enough about them, let’s go back to where we were.

Cass had invited Grillby inside to wait while you finished gathering up your notes for the performances. You were performing for both parties; informal and formal. After stuffing your clothes for the ‘rave’ and a few other equipment for your show, you walked out of your room to see the fire man in an eye-catching suit.

_Hot damn…_

_How can someone be so attractive?!_

The suit fitted him perfectly and it took your breath away. He really was one beautiful being and you felt extremely lucky to know him. Cass was attending the party as well, both formal and informal since she was your manager/assistant of some sort. Right now, she was wearing an enchanting black dress filled with frills in all the right places and hugged her curves perfectly. Honestly, you felt like shit standing next to her. You were in your new formal dress since you didn’t have any.

Why haven’t you got any?

Because your old job hates formal dresses.

Even with perfect makeup and hairstyle, you still felt a bit insecure.

_Don’t worry, Brian, I’ll gain them back when I perform!_

You walked over to Grillby and settled your backpack next to him. He gave you a small wave and you smiled back before walking to the coat hanger to fetch your fuzzy coat.

“You look beautiful.” You heard Grillby say from the couch.

Your face instantly turned red but thanks to the heavens, you were facing away from him.

“A-Ah… Really? T-Thanks…”

_Why am I so nervous?!_

Cass snickered and walked over to your bag to pick it up. You slid your coat on as Grillby got up from his seat and walked over to you. Cass was the first to walk out, before giving you your bag, of course, followed by Grillby and lastly, you, who locked the door. Plucking the key out of the keyhole, you turned and was met with the sight of Grillby extending an arm for you with that comforting smile of his. You smiled and shoved the key into your bag before taking his hand. The two of you walked towards Cass, hand in hand mind you, who were already waiting in front of the elevator with a mischievous grin.

Tonight will surely go as planned.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, Redears! 6 weeks! Gosh, more than a month. I really am sorry I just didn’t have time to write this. Seriously, no you have no idea what happened. But now, I’m on holidays and I can update all my fanfics! Anyways, not much to say really except thank you, as usual, for reading this! Thank you for giving your time to read my fanfic and I love you all so much.
> 
> Really, thank you.
> 
> Goodnight, dears :)

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who can’t keep their ideas in their head? Me! :D Anyways, I fell in love with Grillby somehow and wanted to share this idea that just won’t stop bothering my mind! I think it has a cool concept. Who knows :) Btw, DO NOT BE FOOLED! This story will most likely have a very heart breaking climax but I’m still not sure yet. Need time to develop the plot more. Anyways, thanks for reading this! Really appreciate you guys for reading this really long chappie. Give me a review, critique, anything because it really helps me improve. Thanks for reading this, I love you guys so much <3  
> Goodnight, dear Readers :)
> 
> Also! If anyone knows who drew the picture for the cover, do message me about them because I want to officially ask for their permission whether I can use it or not. I'll take it down if the don't let me. For now, it'll be a standby cover. 


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